Trust in Tap, in Flint and Here at Home

Pallets of bottled water arrive in town to the relief of nearly 100,000 residents who can’t trust what comes from the tap. They’ve lost faith in their local and state governments, their civic reputation is in tatters and their homes have become impossible to sell. They attend community meetings waving samples of brown water and ask when it will be safe for their children to drink.

The situation in Flint, Michigan is tragic. It was preventable. It’s likely to continue for a long time and perhaps occur again elsewhere.

For those of us who work in the public water sector, it’s the stuff of nightmares. For our customers, the images from Michigan may bring to mind two questions: should I also be drinking bottled water, because it’s safer? And could what happened in Flint happen here?

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One Comment

Hi George – great explanation of the Flint issues that address the likely/probable questions of DC Water customers that are similar for other communities. I know the associations (AMWA. AWWA, etc.) have tried to provide assistance but I’m not sure how many utilities are really being pro-active (actually reactive) in getting the message out? I hope others follow your lead (I mean lead not lead)!
Flint issue strikes at the lack of trust in government as you well know (being in DC) so how can water utilities separate the perception from government failures to utility “stewardship or protection” of public health and our environment?
I appreciate seeing your truthful/transparent yet positive/proactive response to deal with “let’s get the lead out”!
Thanks for your great communication.
Terry